Masons{40 {0 line holder

ABSTRACT

A device for securing a masons&#39;&#39; line to a brick or block wall. The line holding device consists of a L-shaped body member and a L-shaped clamp, the longer portion of which is slideably received within the longer leg of the body member and is secured in any of a number of spaced positions to vary the overall span of the device. A sliding clamp is mounted on the longer portion of the body member and is forced by means of a screw extending through the short portion of the body member toward the clamping face of the L-shaped clamp member. The clamping faces of the sliding member and of the L-shaped clamping member are provided with renewable rubber faces. A U-shaped clamping member is also provided which may be substituted for the L-shaped clamp to permit the device to be clamped to the side wall of a concrete block.

United States Patent [1 1 Valva [111 3,751,810 Aug. 14, 1973 MASONS LINE HOLDER [22] Filed: Jan. 18, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 107,143

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 873,386, Nov. 3,

1969, abandoned.

[51] Int. Cl. E043 21/18 [58] Field of Search 33/85, 86; 269/249 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,039,195 6/1962 Litty 33/85 3,440,728 4/1969 l-Iackworth, Sr. 33/85 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 14,523 9/1890 Great Britain 269/249 Primary Examiner-Louis R. Prince Assistant Examiner-Charles E. Phillips Attorney-Vem L. Oldham and Edwin W. Oldham [57] ABSTRACT A device for securing a masons line to a brick or block wall. The line holding device consists of a L-shaped body member and a L-shaped clamp, the longer portion of which is slideably received within the longer leg of the body member and is secured in any of a number of spaced positions to vary the overall span of the device. A sliding clamp is mounted on the longer portion of the body member and is forced by means of a screw extending through the short portion of the body member toward the clamping face of the L-shaped clamp member. The clamping faces of the sliding member and of the L-shaped clamping member are provided with renewable rubber faces. A U-shaped clamping member is also provided which may be substituted for the L- shaped clamp to permit the device to be clamped to the side wall of a concrete block.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PAIENTEUAUB 1 4w 32 f 1 J j g B Z I r- INVENTOR.

ANTHONY A. VALVA AGENT PAIENIED mm mm FIG.4

FIG. 5

INVENTOR. ANTHONY A. VALVA AGENT E muc 1 4mm 3,751,810 sum 3 or 3 64 ee s2 52 FIG.7

INVENTOR. ANTHONY A. VALVA AGENT MASONS LINE HOLDER This invention is a continuation-in-part of my earlier application Ser. No. 873,386, filed Nov. 3, 1969, for MASONS LINE HOLDER, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a device for holding a ma sons line and more particularly to such a device which may be rapidly and securely clamped to either a brick or concrete block wall and which when clamped to the wall is held securely in place without damage thereto.

In the construction of walls of brick, block, or tile it is standard practice to stretch a line horizontally between two points on the wall to aid in the laying of level courses along the wall. The line may be held in place at its ends by a weight, for example, a loose brick, but such an arrangement is not satisfactory as the weight may be easily knocked from position or the line may be pulled from beneath the weight. The prior art also teaches various clamping arrangements for holding the ends of the line but these prior art devices are not completely satisfactory for a number of reasons. Among the defects of the prior art devices are the lack of adjustability to accommodate different sizes of bricks and blocks, the undesirable tendency to mar or scratch the exposed surfaces of the wall, and the lack of a positive clamping action resulting in loosening of the line and necessitating frequent repositioning of the clamps.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a masons line holder which may be securely and easily clamped to a brick or block wall. A further object of the invention is a provision of a masons line holder which may be securely clamped to a wall without any tendency of the holder to slide along the wall resulting in loosening of the cord, even if the holder is subjected to knocks or bumps. Another object of the present invention is the provision of a masons line holder which may be securely clamped to a wall with out scratching or marring of any of the surfaces thereof. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a masons line holder which may be readily adjusted to accommodate a wide range of widths of walls, making the device suitable for use with both bricks and hollow blocks or tiles. Another object of the invention is the provision of a masons line holder which is of simple and economical yet rugged construction.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent on consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawing wherein there is showna preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the masons line holding device of the present invention clamped to a common brick;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line II--ll of FIG. I, with the brick omitted;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view similar to that of FIG. I but showing a modification of the device of my invention for use with hollow block or tile walls;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view similar that of FIG. 3 but showing a further modification of the device of my invention;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line V--V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of another modification of the masons line holder of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 6.

The embodiment of my invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is intended for use with walls of brick or similiar material. In its preferred embodiment, the line holder is capable of being clamped to a block of from approximately 3% to 6 inches in thickness.

The holder has an L-shaped body portion 10 with a short leg 11 and a longer leg 12. The leg 12 is provided with a cylindrical bore 13 extending longitudinally through the leg from the free end thereof and with a slot 18 along one side of the leg and communicating with the bore 13. The slot 18 is provided with a plurality of enlarged circular openings 19, also extending inwardly to the buff: 13. The openings 19 are located at the ends of the slot 18 and at spaced intervals along the slot. Holes 20, of a smaller diameter than the opening 19, are provided on the opposite side of the leg 12. These holes are aligned with the openings 19 and extend inwardly to the longitudinal bore 13. A cylindrical rod 14 is slideably received in the bore 13 and is retained in position by means of a screw 15 threaded through the rod 13 adjacent-the end thereof. The screw 15 is provided with a shoulder portion I6 of a diameter larger than the heighth of the slot 18 but slightly smaller than the diameter of the openings 19. The threaded portion 15 of the screw 15 is of a slightly smaller diameter than the heighth of the slot 18. The length of the screw 15 is such that, when the screw 15 is fully threaded into the rod 14 with the shoulder portion 16 received in one of the openings 19, the pointed end 17 of the screw enters the corresponding hole 20. This arrangement permits the rod 14 to be moved into or out of the bore 13 by partially unscrewing the screw 15 so that the shoulder 16 clears the side wall of the leg 12. Since it is not necessary to completely remove the screw 15, this screw is not likely to be lost. The rod 14 may be retained in any of a number of positions by fully tightening the screw 15 so that the shoulder portion 16 is received in one of the circular openings 19 and the point 17 of the screw is received in the mating opening 20 of the opposite wall of the leg 12. i

A plate-like member 21 is mounted at the outer free end of the rod 14 and extends normal to the rod 14 and the leg 12. The plate 21 extends downwardly from the -rod and is provided on its lower portion 22 with a rubber pad 23.

The leg 12 of the L-shaped member 10 is also provided with a transverse slot 24 along a portion of the leg adjacent the leg 11. A pin or bar 25 is'slideably received within this slot and carries at its ends the bifurcated upper portions 26 of a sliding member 27. The sliding member 27 has a downwardly extending portion 28 which is provided with a rubber pad 29. A screw 30, threaded through the short leg 11 of the L-shaped member 10 abuts the lower portion 28 of the sliding member 27. The plate 22 secured to the rod 14 and the lower portion 28 of the sliding member 27 extend parallel to one another and have their rubber pads 23 and 29, respectively, on the faces of these members directed toward one another.

The device is secured to a brick wall by first positioning the rod 14 at the one of the circular openings 19 at 4 which the distance between the pads 23 and 29 of the clamping plates 22 and 28 is slightly greater than the thickness of the brick 31 to which the device is to be clamped. The device is then positioned over the brick and the screw 30 tightened forcing the sliding member 27 toward the plate 21, thus securely clamping the brick between the pads 23 and 29.

FIG. 3 illustrates a modified form of the invention suitable for use in conjunction with hollow block or tile. ln this embodiment there is provided an L-shaped member having a bore 13 with a slot 18 and openings 19 and 20, a slot 24 for receiving a pin 25 carrying a sliding member 27, and a screw 30, all as in the previous embodiment. A U-shaped rod 32 having parallel upper and lower straight portions 33 and 34 is also provided. The upper portion 33 of the rod 32 is slideably received in the bore 13 of the leg 12 of the L-shaped member 10 and is held in any of a plurality of positions by means of the screw 15. A plate 35 is secured to the free end of the lower leg 34 of the rod 32 and is provided with a rubber pad 36. In this embodiment the lower portion 28 of the sliding member 27 and the plate 35 serve as the clamping plates. It should be noted that the length of the upper straight portion 33 of the rod 32 is such that the rod may be secured in any of the openings 19 of the slot 18. The lower leg 34 of the rod 32 is of such a length that the maximum span between the pads 29 and 36, that is the span between these pads when the upper portion 33 of the rod is secured to the outermost of the openings 19, is approximately equal to the minimum span of the previously described embodiment, thus permitting the device to be used over a wide range of thickness of materials.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is intended to be used with hollow blocks 38 which have central voids and relatively thin side walls 39. The device is secured in the same manner as the previously described device with the plates 28 and 35 being positioned on opposite sides of a side wall 39 of the block 38. The tightening of the screw 30 securely clamps the device to the wall 39 of the block.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate another modification of the device of my invention for use with thin walled block or tile. In this embodiment the lower portion 22 of the plate-like member 21 is provided with a tapped hole 40, the hole 40 also passing through the rubber pad 23. A rod 41 is threaded at one end and has a plate 42 secured to its opposite end. The face of the plate 42 opposite the rod 41 is provided with a rubber pad 43. With this embodiment it is not necessary to remove the screw from the rod 14 nor to remove the rod 14 from the bore of the leg 12 when it is desired to use the device on a thin walled block or tile. When it is desired to use the clamp of this embodiment on a thin walled block it is merely necessary to screw the rod 41 into the hole 40 of the plate 21 and to position the screw 15 in the one of the circular openings 19 which positions the clamping plate 42 a slightly greater distance from the clamping plate 28 than the thickness of the block wall 39. The device is then positioned over the wall 39 and the screw 30 tightened to force the clamping plates 28 and 42 toward one another, securely clamping the device to the wall 39. The rod 41 is preferably of such length that the maximum distance between the clamping plates 28 and 42 is approximately equal to the minimum span between the plates 28 and 22 so that the device may be used over a continuous range of thicknesses of materials up to the maximum span between the plates 22 and 28.

Referring now to FlGS. 6 and 7, there is shown an embodiment of my invention which is intended for use with hollow blocks or tiles. The masons line holder 44 consists, essentially, of a C-shaped body member 46, an L-shaped clamping plate 48 slideably mounted on the center portion of the body member 46, and a screw 50. The body member 46 has a straight center portion 52, a first leg portion 54 extending at right angles to the center portion 52 and provided with a threaded bore 56 whose axis is parallel to the center portion 52 of the body member 46, and a second leg portion 58 at the opposite end of the body member 46. The second leg 58 extends parallel to the first leg 54 along a substantial portion of its length. The end 60 of the second leg 58 is bent slightly toward the first leg 54. The L-shaped clamping member has a leg portion 62 which extends parallel to the center portion 52 of the body member 46 and which is provided at one end with a pair of tabs 64 which extend upwardly on either side of the body member 46 and which mount a suitable pin 66 for slideably retaining the clamping member 48 on the main portion 52 of the body member 46. Alternatively, the ends of the legs 64 may be further bent to overly the top of the center portion 52 of the body member 46. In such a construction, the pin 66 is omitted. The opposite end of the leg 62 of the clamping member 48 is provided with a plate-like leg 68 which extends parallel to the leg 54 of the body member 46. The surface of the plate 68 facing the second leg 58 of the body member 46 is provided with a renewable rubber facing 70.

The masons line holder 44 is characterized by its simplicity and economy of construction as well as by the ease with which it is used. The inwardly bent end 60 of the leg 58 of the body portion 46 assures that the device will be firmly clamped to the wall of a hollow block. Normally, the block walls are not parallel, being slightly thicker at their edges. The use of a straight leg on a clamp in such a situation results in poor clamping action since the clamp engages the inner wall of the block only atthe upper edge thereof and is easily knocked free. The inwardly bent leg portion 60 of the present invention, however, assures that tight clamping action will be obtained.

In any of the embodiments, the masons line may be wrapped around the short leg 1 1 of the L-shaped member 10 and the adjacent portion of the leg 12. An upwardly projecting pin 37 may also be provided, if desired, for securing the masons line. While this pin 37 is shown as projecting upwardly from the shorter leg portion 11 of the L-shaped member 10 it may alternatively be positioned on the sliding member 27 in such manner to the string or line is always vertically aligned with the face portion of the block or brick to which the device is clamped.

The rubber pads 23 and 29 are preferrably secured to their respective clamping plates 22 and 28 by means of a suitable adhesive so that worn pads may be easily removed and replaced as necessary.

1 claim:

1. A device for securing a masons line, comprising:

an L-shaped body member, the member having a bore extending longitudinally into the longer leg thereof from the outer end of the longer leg;

a rod slideably received in the bore;

means to secure the rod to the body member at any of a plurality of discrete positions, the means comprising a screw threaded into the rod at right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof, the screw having an enlarged shoulder portion, the longer leg of the body member being provided with a slot along a substantialportion of the bore, the slot having a plurality of enlarged circular portions, the threaded portion of the screw being slideable in the slot, and the diameter of the shoulder portion being greater than the heighth of the-slot but less than the diameter of the circular portions;

a first clamping member secured to the free end of the rod;

a second clamping member slideably mounted on the body member, the clamping members being parallel to each other and extending downward from the longer leg of the body member so as to be parallel to the shorter leg of the body member and perpendicular to the longer leg; and

means for forcing the second clamping member toward the first clamping member.

2. A device according to claim 1 further characterized in that the first and second clamping members each include a plate having a principle surface normal to the axis of the larger leg of said body member and of the rod.

3. A device according to claim 2 further including a removeable rubber pad on the clamping surfaces of the plates.

4. A device according to claim 2 wherein the rod is straight and the plate of the first clamping member is secured to and extends downwardly from the end of the rod.

5. A device according to claim 2 further including a second rod releaseably secured to the first clamping member, extending parallel to the first mentioned rod and a plate secured to the free end of the second rod and having its principal surface normal to the axis of the second rod.

6. A device according to claim 2 wherein the rod is U-shaped having parallel upper and lower portion, the upper parallel portions of the rod being received in the bore, and the plate of the first clamping member being secured to the end of the lower parallel portion of the rod.

7. A device according to claim I further characterized in that the means for forcing the second clamping member comprises a screw threaded through the shorter leg of the body member.

8. A device according to claim I further including a pin projecting upwardly from the body portion. 

1. A device for securing a masons'' line, comprising: an L-shaped body member, the member having a bore extending longitudinally into the longer leg thereof from the outer end of the longer leg; a rod slideably received in the bore; means to secure the rod to the body member at any of a plurality of discrete positions, the means comprising a screw threaded into the rod at right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof, the screw having an enlarged shoulder portion, the longer leg of the body member being provided with a slot along a substantial portion of the bore, the slot having a plurality of enlarged circular portions, the threaded portion of the screw being slideable in the slot, and the diameter of the shoulder portion being greater than the heighth of the slot but less than the diameter of the circular portions; a first clamping member secured to the free end of the rod; a second clamping member slideably mounted on the body member, the clamping members being parallel to each other and extending downward from the longer leg of the body member so as to be parallel to the shorter leg of the body member and perpendicular to the longer leg; and means for forcing the second clamping member toward the first clamping member.
 2. A device according to cLaim 1 further characterized in that the first and second clamping members each include a plate having a principle surface normal to the axis of the larger leg of said body member and of the rod.
 3. A device according to claim 2 further including a removeable rubber pad on the clamping surfaces of the plates.
 4. A device according to claim 2 wherein the rod is straight and the plate of the first clamping member is secured to and extends downwardly from the end of the rod.
 5. A device according to claim 2 further including a second rod releaseably secured to the first clamping member, extending parallel to the first mentioned rod and a plate secured to the free end of the second rod and having its principal surface normal to the axis of the second rod.
 6. A device according to claim 2 wherein the rod is U-shaped having parallel upper and lower portion, the upper parallel portions of the rod being received in the bore, and the plate of the first clamping member being secured to the end of the lower parallel portion of the rod.
 7. A device according to claim 1 further characterized in that the means for forcing the second clamping member comprises a screw threaded through the shorter leg of the body member.
 8. A device according to claim 1 further including a pin projecting upwardly from the body portion. 